


Following Pie Crumbs

by ANobleCompanion



Series: Chasing Pie [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Food, Food Critic Castiel, M/M, Pre-Slash, lot's of food, so much food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 09:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6188971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANobleCompanion/pseuds/ANobleCompanion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After tasting a piece of pie straight out of his past, food critic Castiel has set off on a mission to find his childhood friend by making his way across the country reviewing the places Dean has worked. Will he be able to find the missing piemaker? And how much food can he eat in the process?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Following Pie Crumbs

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. I know I said only two parts. My brain apparently lied to both of us. BUT BUT BUT. This is twice as long as the last one!! And I SWEAR on pain of pointed quill, that I will resolve it in the next (and final) part! 
> 
> In the meantime, I hope you have a snack handy. Enjoy!
> 
> Many thanks to the lovely [JiniZ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/JiniZ) for her beta help in this section!
> 
> Also, y'all should totally go click on part one again to see the FABULOUS banner [SWLfangirl](http://swlfangirl.tumblr.com) made for the story!

**_September 18 - Lebanon, Kansas_**

It has recently been brought to my attention that the readership for this column is...less than stellar. I was - we’ll say encouraged - to find a new angle. Something to entice you in, rather like a sampling of wine that convinces you to go ahead and buy the bottle.

My initial plan was to create a column based around the desserts offered by various restaurants. High end, low end, there would have been a little bit of everything. I even had a cheesy title planned out. Happy Endings. I know, corny but cute, right?

This idea was inspired by a specific dessert I had at a small diner, just on the outskirts of Lebanon called Benny’s. To understand this inspiration a little better, you’ll need a bit of a back story.

When I was a child, I had a best friend with whom I was very close. I was over at his house all the time. And his mother made the best pie. I’m sure you’re thinking this must be pure hyperbole. But her cooking was the reason I write about food at all. When she passed away, many things changed in my life. My best friend moved away rather suddenly and I never heard from him again. Everything seemed a little dimmer after that.

And then I made a quick stop at Benny’s. I wasn’t there to review the food. I just needed a place to eat. Yes, even critics just need a meal for the sake of a meal every now and again. As I told my very friendly and competent server, Madison, the food was adequate. Actually, for a diner its size, with the equipment and ingredients I know they had access to, it was above par. Not gourmet, but that’s not what you’re looking for when you go to a diner. I was running behind that day and sadly had to rush my lunch. But Madison, wise woman that she is, knew there was something else I needed to try. She sent me home with a slice of pie.

When I got a chance to take my first bite, it was like I was a child again. Everything from the smell, to the flavor and texture, was exactly like when I was ten years old. I was happier than I’d been in a long time, and let me tell you, that piece of pie was gone far too quickly for my pleasure.

It’s amazing how food can trigger such strong memories. So much of our lives are spent around food. So often it is a shared experience that we can connect to a specific person or event. And who can be unhappy over a great piece of pie, cake, or a bowl of homemade ice cream? So I decided that’s what I would share with you.

My first stop? Benny’s. And that’s where this narrative changed.

To my dismay, the cook who had made the amazing pastry that inspired my new direction, had moved in a new direction himself. He was a temporary fill in, working his way across the country towards a larger goal. The only pie they had on hand that day was frozen. I asked the ever helpful Madison if she knew the cook’s name and where he was headed next.

I discovered he was none other than my childhood friend.

I will not give his name since I do not have express permission to write about him, but from the moment I discovered it was him, my purpose changed. This column will still be about dessert. But now there is a larger goal.

I will be setting off across the country, starting by heading in the direction of Denver - the last known destination of my friend. Along the way, I will stop in as many diners and drive-ins as I can to see if I can again find that elusive slice of pie - and hopefully in the process reconnect with a long lost, and much missed, friend. I am hoping you will join me on this quest. Perhaps in the end, there really will be a happy ending.

* * *

 

**_September 25 - The Full Moon Cafe; Denver, Colorado_ **

Before embarking on my journey, I returned to Benny’s to get some advice. First, he told me I should have gone with the gumbo on my first trip to his diner. Which I then tried. He was right, and I highly recommend everyone of you go try it.  

After that nugget of wisdom, he told me what I was actually hoping to learn. Benny happens to know a cafe owner in Denver, Colorado by the name of Kate Sheridan. She was former employee who set out to open her own business. He also knew she had just hired a new cook who needed a little bit of coaching before he stood on his own. He pointed my friend in that direction.

It occurs to me, that while I can’t tell you my friend’s actual name, I do need to call him something besides, “my friend.” Henceforth he will be referred to as Zeppelin. I have never in my life known anyone more devoted to the music of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant as Zeppelin was at the age of ten. Because of him, I could recite the lyrics to “Custard Pie” by the time I was nine. Needless to say, I didn’t understand the lyrics. I liked them because I liked pie. I think Zeppelin’s mom thought it was hilarious.

After getting the address and directions to _The Full Moon Cafe_ , I set off. The drive was only about five and a half hours, but Zeppelin had a full two-week start on me, and I knew he wasn’t planning on staying around for more than a few days.

Sure enough, I missed him by five days. He’d already moved on. However, it was time for dinner, and after all, Zeppelin had trained the new cook, a young Kevin Tran. From what I tasted, Kevin was an excellent student.

Driving always works up an appetite for me, and I was looking forward to seeing what Kevin had learned, so I decided to start with a plate of fried mozzarella sticks made with fresh cheese. Let me tell you. If you’ve ever had fresh mozzarella sticks, you will never be able to go back to frozen again. There is a world of difference in the flavor, and to even think about dipping them in marinara sauce is a sacrilege (though, I should note that it was at least offered - and it too was homemade rather than jarred) Kevin had seasoned the sticks with a hint of cayenne pepper. While it wasn’t nearly enough to make it spicy, it did add a nice contrast to the saltiness of the cheese that they didn’t require anything else.

For my main dish, I decided to go with another dish I recognized from my dinners with Zeppelin’s family, tomato rice soup. It was exactly how I remembered it. It makes me wonder if Zeppelin has a stash of his mother’s old recipes, or if he has spent the years trying (and succeeding) to remake them.

Perhaps my choice of a nickname for Zeppelin won’t seem quite as random when you realize what I had for dessert. Of course, since this quest began with a pie, you can expect a pie review in every article. From _The Full Moon_ , I fully endorse the Buttermilk Pie with Pecan Crust...and custard filling. As I said last week, there’s a great deal of memory and sentiment attached to food.

In this case, the pie was perfectly cooked. The pecan crust provided a pleasant textural contrast to the creaminess of the filling. The combination of lemon and nutmeg in the filling was excellently balanced, and produced a nice balance on the tongue. The presentation of my slice with a single salted pecan made me smile and feel like a kid again when I pulled it off - not unlike the cherry on the top of a sundae.

If you happen to be in the Denver area, I recommend making a stop at _The Full Moon Cafe_. Tell them Cas sent you!

* * *

 

_**September 27, The Guild-ed Page Food Truck; Green River, Utah** _

Before I left, I asked Kate and Kevin if they knew where Zeppelin planned to head next. Kevin had a college friend, Charlie Bradbury, who runs a specialty themed food truck in Utah. He knew she was expecting to need extra hands for an event she was booked for and Kevin recommended Zeppelin to her.

Now, if you’re like me, you’re going to need a quick run down on the world of LARPing before diving into this particular installment.

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play and can take many forms, limited only by imagination. Apparently, back when Avatar first came out and when Kevin and Charlie first met, recreating Pandora was a popular theme. When I first heard this, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical and honestly, stereotypically, expected this to be the pastime of people with no social life, still living in their parents’ basement.

I was quickly proven wrong. LARPers come from all walks of life and the game is an intense form of socialization on a level I haven’t had the opportunity to be a part of before. The players have a loosely constructed storyline they aim to follow, but in reality, have created a massive, interactive and impromptu stage that any actor would envy.

While I was unfortunate enough to miss the annual grand meeting of the tribes of Moondoor, the special event that required all hands deck (and by extension, Zeppelin), by a week, I did discover Charlie’s truck, _The Guild-ed Page_ , was a regular at each of the weekend events. She sets up just outside the field, as motorized vehicles aren’t permitted in the grounds of the game, and is so popular amongst the players that many of them have dubbed her their queen.

If you’re familiar with food trucks that have started to crop up and grace the streets of larger cities, throw your preconceived notions entirely out the window. First and foremost, this truck is intended to provide ambiance and atmosphere to a medieval fantasy setting. As such, it is cleverly disguised to more closely resemble a large, brightly colored carriage.

Charlie herself is as bright and happy as that carriage. She is also a fount of knowledge on all things geek. I had the opportunity to sit in her truck for the day as she served her patrons and we had a lively discourse on gender and race interpretations in the _Harry Potter_ books.

Love of geek features heavily in her cuisine as well. From small, handheld snacks in the form of lembas bread and pumpkin pasties, to full meals fit for the ruler of Westeros, Charlie’s samplings fit in well with her audience while keeping true to the double pun of her establishment’s name.

I could see the Zeppelin of my youth getting along well with her. While I might not have been familiar with LARPing as the extensive practice I witnessed today, I remember many summer days on a quest to the Lonely Mountain with my best friend, each of us fighting over who would play Bilbo and who would ultimately play Smaug. Zeppelin’s little brother was always Gollum. You don’t get many options when you’re six years old and rather small.

Charlie confirmed my suspicions when she showed me the outfit she lent him to wear while he helped her out. Chainmail and all. Apparently he put up a token show about getting into character, but she had a hard time convincing him to give it back at the end. It’s nice to know some things don’t change.

Since I know you’re all eager to hear about the desserts, I won’t leave you hanging.

Because of the nature of Charlie’s audience, her treats need to be easy to carry. Handheld food is far more convenient than a plate and a fork. She does not disappoint. If you have options ranging from the previously mentioned, pumpkin pasties, “Bree’s Famous Blackberry Tarts”, and homemade Turkish delight. My personal favorite was a reference to a series I was mildly obsessed with as a child. If you’ve ever read any of the _Redwall_ books by Brian Jacques, you will know they were a food lover’s dream. I was thrilled then, to discover the honeybaked apples on her menu, inspired by the descriptions from the book. They were perfectly prepared and an excellent balance of apple tart and honey sweet with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. It hit the spot and I won’t forget it soon.

* * *

 

**_October 1 - Wayward Daughter’s Diner; Lovelock, Nevada_ **

Nestled in the small city of Lovelock, Nevada is a diner run by two rather remarkable women.

Jody Mills and Donna Hascum are both retired sherrifs. Before they became life and business partners, they were partners on the streets of this generally quiet town. But even quiet towns have people who need help and the trust of someone else to let them know what they’re worth.

A few years ago, Jody and Donna responded to a violent domestic dispute that left a young girl, Alex, without a family or a home. Rather than see Alex, a teenager at the time, get dropped into the system, Jody decided to adopt her.

As selfless as such a decision seems to be, Jody didn’t stop there. Within a year, Jody and Donna met Claire, a troubled runaway for whom the system had already failed. For Jody, it was the obvious choice to add the youth to her rapidly growing family.

Now a single mother of two teenage daughters, Jody began to rely more and more on her best friend Donna. The two realized that even in Lovelock, a city of less than two thousand, there were plenty of young women who are in desperate need of strong female role models and a chance to prove themselves.

Their solution? _Wayward Daughters Diner_.

The concept behind the diner is to employ young women, mostly teens and women in their early to mid twenties, who need a second chance. The women get an opportunity to learn responsibility and gain the experience needed for a job application or college resume. As an added bonus, Jody and Donna treat everyone who comes through their staff - whether still working in the diner or not - as extended family. Since many of these women have or had a rough, or non-existent home life, it provides them with much needed stability and support.

They’ve been in business for ten years now and have dramatically improved the lives of close to a hundred women - including Charlie Bradbury of _The Guild-ed Page_.

Charlie was taken under Donna and Jody’s wings about eight years ago, after running away from her third foster home. She worked with them for two years before setting out on her own. She’s remained in contact with Donna and Jody and still maintains their webpage for them, free of charge, as her way of saying, “thank you.”

She pointed me in this direction after recommending Zeppelin to them.

While Zeppelin is obviously not their typical staff member, they’d recently lost their head cook when she left for college. Because the goal is to help these women move on, turnover can be high, and such a circumstance isn’t unheard of at the diner. Normally, Jody would cover the kitchen until they trained or found a new girl to take her place. In this case though, Alex and Claire - who are both still very much a part of both the business and the family - insisted that Donna and Jody both take the week off for their five year anniversary rather than postponing it.

Unfortunately, as Donna told me later, “those girls can’t boil an egg without burning it.” So for one week, their head cook was a wayward son. Fitting, since Zeppelin was in fact born in Kansas.

I’m sorry to say that I missed him again. By one day no less. According to Donna and Jody, he was headed towards San Francisco next, though they didn’t know more than that. At least I know what direction I should be heading.

Before I set out, I of course, sat down for a meal. Jody was back behind the counter and I was served by Donna herself. The two original wayward daughters were my dining companions. They were eager to tell me as much as they could about the grown up Zeppelin. Apparently he left quite an impression on them. It was interesting to compare their stories with the boy in my memories.

Over a delightful meal of herb baked chicken and mashed potatoes, I learned that the pseudonym, “Zeppelin,” was aptly chosen.

Claire rolled her eyes as she described Zeppelin’s insistence that “the cook chooses the music, everyone else shuts their cakehole.” Apparently he’s a terrible dancer, but that didn’t stop him from trying, as he moved from station to station in the kitchen.

Alex was happy to tell me that my friend apparently grew up to be quite attractive. She showed me a picture she’d snapped of him on her phone, I have to admit, I quite agree. Actually, the term she used was, “hot.” She noted he flirted with everyone that breathed. I gathered he was popular with staff and guests alike.

Despite his flirting, both Claire and Alex noted how well he seemed to fit into the “wayward’ family. While he didn’t tell them much about his past, they did pick up that he moved around a lot growing up. He also treated everyone on staff like little sisters.

On his third day, there was a group of men who had come in with assumptions about the all-female staff, sadly, something Claire says is not uncommon. Usually, the presence of one or more former sheriffs is enough to deter any mischief. With Donna and Jody gone, the men thought they could get away with more.

While Donna and Jody have made sure all their girls can defend themselves should something happen, many of them already have some kind of record or reputation that they’re trying to put behind them and prefer to avoid altercations when possible. In this instance, Zeppelin stepped in before the situation could move beyond crude words and bodily removed the offending guests from the premises. Rather than leaving it there, he insisted on driving the harassed waitress home at the end of her shift to make sure she wasn’t followed by anyone who might have held a grudge.

I hope that at the end of this journey I will manage to find Zeppelin and get to know the man people have been telling me about. Perhaps we can come back here to _Wayward Daughters_ and get to know each other again. The food alone would certainly be worth the trip.

For all the good _Wayward Daughters Diner_ does to serve the community of Lovelock, it does an equally outstanding job of turning out a satisfying meal. Should you ever find yourself in one of their booths, I highly recommend the chicken. Baked with the perfect balance of rosemary, lemon, and butter, it was one of the moistest pieces of chicken I’ve ever eaten. It felt more like home cooking than diner food.

The mashed potatoes that accompanied it were smooth, but obviously fresh rather than a powder mix. I’ve always enjoyed mashed potatoes that leave some pieces of the skin in. Not only does it add a mix of color and definition to the dish, it also ramps up the flavor just a notch. _Wayward Daughters_ enhanced that even more with small amount of garlic and chives. Enough to know it was there, but not overwhelming.

And of course, what you’re all really waiting to hear about, dessert.

 _Wayward Daughters_ offers the standard diner options: some kind of pie (pecan that day), ice cream floats with your choice of soda, and fresh baked brownie a’la mode. Based on what I could see and smell, they would all be a great end to the meal. But it’s not what they’re known for.

Their specialty is enough that this diner should be put on every foodie’s road map. Their cinnamon caramel apple pavlova is a generous individual size (really, it could easily serve two if you could convince your dining partner to share) about the same circumference as a softball.

The base is a layer of meringue, topped with a bit of fresh whipped cream and a generous helping of cinnamon apples. This is then topped off with another layer of meringue and finished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade caramel.

The meringue was whipped and baked to perfection, light and crispy on the outside, with a marshmallow like center. Because it’s not dense like cake would be, it was the perfect balance to a hearty meal without leaving the diner feeling weighed down.

My only regret was that it wouldn’t travel well or I would have gotten a second for the road.

* * *

 

**_October 5 - Hell’s Kitchen; San Francisco, California_ **

It has become clear that my luck tracking Zeppelin has started to run dry. Donna and Jody were able to tell me he was headed for San Francisco, but this time he wasn’t heading out on their recommendation. They got the impression he had a specific destination in mind, but since he didn't indulge that information, my breadcrumbs - or pie crumbs as it may be - seem to be running out. San Francisco is a big city and one of the important food centers of the west coast. My only hope is that as I find new restaurants to try, I'll pick up some hint that he’s passed through.

Lucky for you, that means I’ll be eating a lot of food in the next few days as I attempt to catch the trail before it runs too cold!

It’s a shame really, that with all the good food in this city, my first stop was _Hell’s Kitchen_.

I was initially drawn in because of the name. In looking for any trace of Zeppelin, I’m clinging to what I know of the boy all those years ago. As a kid, my father would never let me read comic books. That was never a problem in Zeppelin’s house. He and I spent many an afternoon in his treehouse reading the thrilling adventures of our mutual heroes.

I incorrectly assumed the name of this establishment was in homage to the New York neighborhood Daredevil called home. Having learned from Charlie that Zeppelin’s love of the geek still runs strong, I thought perhaps he too would have been attracted by the connection. In fact, the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the owner and cook’s given name - Lucifer.

The atmosphere inside the cafeteria style restaurant was torturous and more befitting an episode of _Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares_ than a relaxing lunch.

The way the establishment is constructed, the dining area has an open view of the kitchen and the cooks as they work, separated only by a narrow counter. The wait staff grabs the food from the counter to take directly to customers with no door to separate the prep from the dining area.

The menu is geared towards stir fry and Asian fusion, no doubt to take advantage of the drama and effect of the occasional leaping flame.

The result of all this is, as to be expected, very loud. Now, I have eaten in establishments like this before, that have pulled this off quite successfully. This was not such an occasion.

Lucifer, the head cook, was brash and condescending to everyone around him, but covering his rude behavior with lewd winks and smiles as though it was enough to make it acceptable rather than worse.

The wait staff, headed by two women, Lilith and Ruby, were constantly and loudly arguing with each other over everything from incorrect orders to stealing tips. Ruby in particular seemed to be on a kick about how stupid she found it that the restaurant didn’t serve fries.

My meal was...palatable. Which is the most complimentary thing I could say about it. I chose a simple broccoli/beef stir fry. The broccoli was soggy and the beef was tough. The overall taste was overwhelmingly salty. In honesty, you’d probably have a more pleasurable experience ordering from your favorite local Chinese corner delivery and eating from home for half the cost.

I know the purpose of this new and improved column is to give a detailed perspectives on desserts, but I’ll be honest when I say I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. In terms of due diligence, there was a pan fried banana with coconut ice cream listed that, if done properly, might be worth trying. If you aren’t scared off by the demon staff first.

* * *

 

**_October 9 - The Honeyed Knight; San Francisco, California_ **

Walking into _The Honeyed Knight_ , you really need to throw every expectation out the window. Usually, when a person thinks about honey in their food, they tend to imagine dainty treats and baked goods more befitting a tea house than a diner. Perhaps run by a young hipster woman, or someone’s grandmother.

What you don’t expect is a full robust menu dedicated to highlighting the versatility of honey in its many different varieties. And you certainly don’t expect a staff of mostly gruff men, some of whom might shatter a china tea cup just by looking at it. Or the bearded dragon, Tad Cooper, that takes up residence among a series of shelves along the wall.

The owner of the diner, Richard Cain, started out as a apiarist with his, now deceased, wife Colette. After she passed away, he wanted to create something in her memory. Over the course of their marriage, Colette had created and collected hundreds of honey-based recipes and drinks that she’d always planned to make into a cookbook to sell along with their honey. Instead, Cain decided he needed something more active in his life to fill his days and enlisted the help of his lifelong best friend, Gareth, to help him open the restaurant. Gareth now serves as the general manager, and while Cain himself is responsible for most of the main dishes, they’ve also hired on a specialized pastry chef by the name of Vincenzo.

Watching Cain and Gareth interact with each other, it makes me wish even more that I’d already managed to find Zeppelin. While it might seem silly to many, even though Zeppelin left my life at age ten, that was the closest relationship I’ve ever had, family included. While I count myself fortunate to have some very good friends in my life, I’ve never felt that connection again. The one where you know that no matter what, and no matter how different you are from each other, there’s someone who has your back. Perhaps I’m being foolish in my hope that nearly a lifetime won’t have changed that profound bond. That when I find Zeppelin again, he will be just as willing to pick up where we left off. But I watched Cain and Gareth, and I could see how much they meant to each other. I doubt any time apart could change that for them.

It’s worth noting that Cain continued to run his apiary, even after opening his restaurant. According to him, “bees are very relaxing. And they’re such noble creatures.” I agree with this sentiment. There have been many an afternoon where I have been content to wile away the hours just watching bees in the park. Their role in society is extremely underrated, and I appreciate Cain’s efforts to help maintain their balance and to educate the public on the symbiotic relationship we share with such a small insect. 

All of the honey used in T _he Honeyed Knight_ ’s recipes come from Cain’s own hives, from the main dishes, to the desserts, and even the drinks. For my visit, I chose to try the grilled salmon with honey mustard with fresh green beans topped with honeyed goat cheese and almonds.

The fish was flakey and moist, the honey mustard perfectly complimented by a thin coating of brown sugar that successfully caramelized in the cooking process. The sweetness of this was perfectly paired with the fresh, crisp green beans, that had been blanched just enough to make them warm. The beans were tossed with a light coating of olive oil, halved, roasted grape tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese flavored with honey, and topped off with roasted almond slivers. To drink, I enjoyed one of the freshest meads I’ve ever tried. According to Cain, this was a Metheglin, which is basically a fermented honey wine that has been flavored by something else (usually a spice or herb). In this case, the additional flavoring was lavender, and it gave the drink a lightness that made it an excellent choice to accompany the fish.

For dessert, I decided to acknowledge the on-coming fall season. While tempted by a few of the apple dishes, what really caught my eye was the gingerbread squares with honey mascarpone cream. I was not disappointed. Vincenzo takes pride in creating new seasonal dishes that he specifically recommends to each guest based on what they ordered for their main meal. He suggested this one to me as a nice finish to the brown sugar in the fish. He wasn’t wrong. If I have the time, I will be making an effort to stop by _The Honeyed Knight_ at least one more time before I leave San Francisco. Hopefully with Zeppelin in tow.


End file.
